Do I need to charge/ cleanse my Tarot cards before 1st reading?

alegna

Hi there...

I've always been interested in tarot cards, wicca, spirituality, palmistry, crystal gazing, etc. but have nvr known how to go about learning more bout all these.

A good fren who is a Wiccan gave me a new set of Rider Waite Tarot cards but she mentioned something bout needing to cleanse/ charge the cards with some incense/ oils on a full moon before the 1st use.

However, she has since gone out of the country and won't be back for a while.

Is the cleansing/ charging necessary?

If yes, how do I go about it?

If no, can I use it on any day or do I have to wait for a full moon before I can use it?

Really eager to use the cards as I have some personal obstacles in life and really would like some form of guidance (from my cards?).

Thank you in advance for any guidance that will be offered.
 

Major Tom

I've moved this thread from the New Members board. It will get more responses on the Talking Tarot board.

I personally don't feel that tarot cards need either cleansing or charging but others do and that's ok too.
 

SilverCloudedWolf

It sounds to me like waiting until a full moon comes from her wiccan spirituality. If you feel that is the right thing to do then I'd say that would be for the best, if however you feel that it doesn't matter to you then go ahead and start reading.

I've never cleansed or charged any of my decks, but if you want to you can use smudge sticks/incence by passing the deck through the smoke or leave the deck on a windowsill where it will get sun and moonlight or to use oils you anoint the deck with a small amountof oil.

Silver
 

Judith D

Cleansing under a full moon does sound very wiccan - and there's nothing wrong with that. I like to say hello before I start with a deck, and thank you when I finish, and I do love to have a candle lit and incense burning just because it sort of gets me 'into the right space' but don't ever feel I have to do anything. I use reiki a lot and have tried clearing my cards with that energy which was lovely, but again don't feel I HAVE to. Still, I haven't been doing this all that long and none of my decks feel dirty yet!
 

SunChariot

Well, I've never done either of those things and my decks have always worked well for me. So it isn't strictly necessary.


Babs
 

RubyRuby

I'm Wiccan, and I did do something similar, but I didn't wait until a full moon. I lit some lavender incense and meditated on my cards and visualized white energy entering my cards.

The cleansing / charging ritual your friend suggested is definitely Wiccan in nature, but personally, it isn't necessary to work with tarot cards.
 

Alta

I usually just look through them a few times to get acquainted with the images. Then do some readings. There have been many here who have gotten 'breaking in a new deck' readings from me. :) And I thank them for their patience.
To me, that's all you need to get going with a deck. Have never done a 'new deck' ritual and my decks seem to work as they should.
 

Sophie

I don't normally do anything but shuffle cards, look through them, and do an introductory 3-card reading with a new deck. But over the week-end I was invited to take part in a Midsummer celebration up in the mountains. We all placed a personal object on the altar inside the circle, to charge it, and I placed a tarot deck. It was Waking the Wild Spirit, which I had neglected for over a year and never really responded to. It started to call me the other day (Friday), and on impulse I brought it with me for the week-end.

When I came back home the next day, I drew a few cards from the deck to see how it had responded to being charged in that way. I felt a definite spark and a great deal of clarity in reading. It could be all in the mind, of course - but that doesn't matter. I feel it's been purified from the negative thoughts I used to have about it, and charged with strong and clear energy - the energy of sun at its peak.

Maybe I'll start doing that kind of thing with more of my decks (anyone who knows my former views on this topic is likely to be guffawing at this stage). OK - I'm unlikely to make a huge palaver out of it, but something simple and meaningful to me. I like smells and bells ;)
 

TheOld

hello hello :)
so cleansing is verry easy, just visualise dark dust going from the deck to the earth for a couple of seconds (5-30)

When you charge a tarot deck you are putting energy in it, that is enhencing the reading with more clarity as there is more light !!!!

In another viewpoint i can say that i Evocate some of my energy in the deck so when i take some times to feel my energy/emotion going in the deck, I in fact Charge it.

To charge a deck you can use many techniques, putting a Crystal Matrix around the deck is a verry good way (it work from 3 crystal)
Another way is to visualise some light from your Hearth going in the Deck.

theres so many way but charging a deck is a verry good exercise :)

Have fun
Omeada Lusvam
 

a_shikhs

Whenever i get a new deck, i first go through all the cards properly. Then before doing my first reading with it, i clean the deck with incense and say a few prayers, blessing the deck. thats it. Well the cleansing/charging is not necessary. But it all depends on you. I like to do it because after this small ritual, the deck feels more personal to me.
I dont wait for the full moon to use my deck. I dont have to patience to wait for the full moon to come in order to use my new deck.. ;) Enjoy with your new deck.. :)